Combined nut lock and bolt-stretch take-up means



March 18 1924.

P. T. FIEHLER COMBINED NUT LOCK AND BOLT STRETCH TAKE UP MEANS Filed June 25. 1923 y/zaeiziar Paid ffZt/zlar.

J 5 2'0 rney.

Patented Man 18, 1924,,

UNITED srn'rizs' PATENT crates.

PAUL Ii IEHLEB, OF MAPLEWOOD, MISSOURI.

' CoMBINED lvtfrmoox ANn BoL'r-srRE'rcH TAKE-UP MEANS.

' State ofMissou'ri, have invented certain new and useful; Combined Nut Lock and Bolt- Stretch Take-Up Means, of which the 01- lowing is a specification.

(This invention relates vto a combined nut lock and bolt stretch take up means, more particularly adapted for application to rail joints, and, it is a distinct and practical improvexnent to overcome certain practical objections to, and defects in, the devices disclosed in my former United States Letters Patents, Numbers 1,071,635 and 1,413,976.

The object of my present invention is the provision of a simple and efficient device of the class 4 described to be applied to rail joints,'wher'e every other bolt is reversed and so constructed that one of the elements of the device is provided with yieldable ends so that" .in the event of any of the bolts stretching or expanding longitudinally the yieldable ends of said element will yield ingly bear against the inner face of the nut thereby obviating the longitudinal vibration of the bolts.

A further object of the invention is the provision of quick detachable means carried by the yieldable ends of the device for look ing the nuts upon the fish-plate bolts against accidental rotation.

'online 2- -2 of'Fiig the bearing plates.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the inventlon consists 111 the novel features of construction. arrangement and combina- 5. Fig.3, isa deta in perspective of one of Application m June 25, 192a. Serial No. 647,547.

Fig. 4, is a detail in perspective of one of the nut-lock plates.

Fig. 5, is a vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the reference characters 1 and 2 indicate the meeting ends of two adjacent rails held against lateral and longitudinal displacement by means of the fish-plates 3 which embrace and are securely fastened to the web of the rails 1 and 2 by means of four bolts designated i, 5., 6

and 7 having thesecuring nuts 8upon one end thereof. It may here be mentioned that each alternate bolt passes through the fishplates and the web of the rails in opposite directions so that the, securing nuts of two bolts will be upon the inside of-the rails, while the other two securing nuts will be disposed upon the outside of the rails, which arrangement is employed to guard against all of the securing nuts being sheared at one time in case of accidents.

In carrying out the aim of mypresent invention, which is a distinct and practical improvement. over my United States Letters Patents, Numbers 1.(l71,635 and 1,413,976, I employ a pair of suitable elongated hearing plates 9 each having a central opening 10 for the passage of the two bolts 5 and 6 which are nearest the rail-joint 11'. The bearing plates 0 embrace the. fish-plates 3 upon opposite sides of the rails 1 and 2 in oil-set relation and are held in such positions by means of the heads of the bolts engaging the. bearing plate 9, as shown in Figs: 1 and 2'.

Each bearing plate .9 is provided, adjacent the central opening 10.with a pair of transversely disposed parallel arranged channels 12 laterally directed to provide a non-yielding central section and to pro-. vide a bending or yielding point 13 for the opposed yielding ends 14 of the bearing plate 9. The outer ends of the yielding ends 14 of each bearing plate 9 are each providedwith a longitudinal slotted opening 15 for the passage of the two bolts 4 and 6 upon one side of the-rails, as is evident from 100 '1, and for the passage of the bolts 5 and u on the opposite side ofthe rails due to the o set relation of the bearing plates 9.

The inner ends of the yielding ends 14;

a suitable removable lock-plate 18 having a nut receiving opening 19 and a key holder receiving opening 20. The nut lock-plate 18 has its longitudinal edges bent laterally or rearwardly at anacute angle to form a' channel upon one side of the plate'to' permit it to straddle-the yielding ends 14 of the bearing plate 9; as is evident from Fi 1. As shown in Fig. 2, there is a nut loc 'ng plate for each nut 8. It will be observed from Fig. 1, that the nuts 8 are receivable in the openings 19 of the locking plates and that the key holders 16 are receivable in and pass through the openings 20 of the nut lock plates 18. A suitable pin, or cotter key 22 is employed to pass through each key holder 16 and engage the outer face of the nut lock plate after the lock plate has been positioned over a nut 8--thereby preventing ever the bolts 4:, 5, 6 and 7 stretch from heat, 7 or any other cause, they will take up the stretch of the bolt by exerting yielding pres-- sure against the inner face of the nuts, thus preventing the bolts from becoming loose and vibrating longitudinally which they now do, no matter how tight the nut isheld against rotation. The stretching of the bolts loosen the fish-plates from embracing contact with the web of the rails and the result is that the rail joint is vibratory, weak 7 and unsafe even though thenuts are locked against rotation.

From the foregoing description, it is evident that I provide a deviye which will not only lock the securing nuts of the bolts against working loose or off of the bolts, but also prevents the embracing parts of the rail joint from separating and becoming vibratory due to the bolts stretching from wear and weather conditions.

The many advantages of the heroin described invention will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

I do not wish to be understood as having limited myself to the exact details of construction shown and described. but desire to haven't understood that the invention I have ticular arrangements of parts without dc parting from the spirit of my invention,

hence I reserve the right to make any such changes, or modifications as may fairly fall witlnnthe scope of the appended claims when fairly construed.

What'I claim is:

1. A combined nut lock and bolt stretch take up device comprising a non-yieldable bearing plate held in position by means of a bolt, a yieldable nut embracing end sec tion integral with the non-yieldable bearing plate and having an opening for the pas sage of a second bolt, a lock plate having an opening for the reception 0 a nut carried by'said second bolt to prevent rotation of the nut upon the bolt and means for removably securing said nut lock'plate upon said yieldable nut embracing end section.

2. In a devicerof the class described, a bearing plate having a non-yieldab'le central section provided with an opening and held in embracing contact witha fish plate by means'of the head of a bolt upon either side of a rail joint, a yieldable bearing plate section inte al with opposite ends of the non yieldab e central bearin plate section, said yieldable sections each mg provided with an opening for the passage of the screw threaded end of abolt, a nut for each bolt against which the yieldable end sections of the bearing plate exert pressure so as to take up the stretch of the bolts, a

'lock plate having'an o ening for the reception of-the nut of a to t mounted upon each yieldable end section of the bearing plate to prevent rotation of the nut upon the bolt and means for removably securing the locking plate in position upon the yieldable end sections.

3. A device of the class described comprising a bearing plate having a non-yieldable aperture central section held in position in ofi' set relation by means of a bolt upon each side of a rail joint, a yieldable lip section integral with opposite ends of said central section and having a slotted opening for the passage of the threaded end of a bolt, a nut carried by the bolt and embracing said .yieldable lipscction, means for locking'the carried by eachbolt against which saidyieldable lip sections exert outward pressure to take up the stretch of the bolts and prevent longitudinal vibratory movements (hereof and means removably fixed to each .yieldable lip section having an opening for nuts of a rail joint fitwo of which are di-' receiving the nut of each bolt to lock the nuts against rotation 'upon the bolts.

5. A nut lock and bolt stretch take up means for rail {joints comprising a bearing plate fixed by means of a bolt midway of its ends to each side of a rail joint, a nut carried by each bolt, a lip section yieldingly bearing against the inner face of each nut to take u the stretchoi' the bolt and a nut locking plilte remo'vably fixedto each lip section.

6. In comb'inat niwith four bolts and rected in one direction and two in the opposite direction, a bearing plate fixed to oppositesides of a rail joint by means of two ot the bolts directed in opposite directions and pos tioned nearest the rail joint,

opposed yieldibie lip sections integral with each bearing plate and provided with slotted openings through which the aforesaid four bolts pass, a nut carried by each bolt against which said lip section exerts outward pres sure for taking up the stretch ofthe bolt and eliminating longitudinal vibration thereof and a lock plate removably fixed to each yieldable lip section to prevent rotation of the nuts upon their bolts. A

7. A combined nut lock and bolt stretch take up device comprising a fixed non-yieldable bearing plate havinga transverse depression at one end, a yieldable section integral with one end of the non-yie1dable hearing plate and having a slotted opening for the passage of a screw threaded end of a bolt, a nut for said bolt, a lock plate having an opening for the reception. oi said nut to prevent the rotation of said nut and means for removably securing said lock plate upon the yieldable section of said bearing plate.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to the specification.

. PAUL T. FIEHLER. 

